Access Chapter.1

STUDY

PLAY

Describes a collection of data organized in a manner that allows access, retrieval, and the use of that data.

Records

The rows in the tables.

Field

Contains a specific piece of information within a record.

Unique indentifier

A field where numbers are unique, and no two clients are assigned the same number.

Primary key

Another name for a unique identifier.

Data type

What each field has. It indicates the type of data that can be stored in the field.

Access work area

The area where you can work on objects such as tables, forms, and reports.

Object tabs

Labels that apear at the top of the work area for open objects.

Insertion point

A blinking bertical bar that indicates where text, graphics, and other items will be inserted. As you type, the insertion point moves to the right.

Mouse pointer

Becomes different shapes depending on the task you are performing in Access and the pointer's location on the screen.

Scroll bar

Used to display different portions of a database object in the Access window.

Vertical scroll bar

Located to the right edge of the window.

Horizontal scroll bar

Apperas at the bottom of the window if an object is too wide to fit in the Access window.

Scroll box

Reflects the location of the portion of the database object that is displayed in the Access window.

Scroll arrow

Located at each end of a scroll bar.

Status bar

Located at the bottom of the Access window above the Windows Vista taskbar. Presents information about the database object, the progress of current tasks and the status of certain commands and keys; it also provides controls for viewing the object.

Ribbon

Located near the top of the Access window. Is the control center in Access.

Tab

Surrounds a collection of groups, and each group contains related commands.

Home tab

Called the primary tab, contains more frequently used commands.

Active tab

The tab that is currently displayed.

Contextual tabs

Tabs that are displayed when you perform certain tasks or work with objects such as datasheets.

Gallery

A set of choices, often graphical, arranged in a grid or in a list.

Enhanced screentip

An on-screen note that provides the name of the command, available keyboard shortcut(s), a description of the command, and sometimes intructions for how to obtain help about the command.

Dialog Box launcher

When clicked, displays a dialog box or a task pane with additional options for the group.

Task pane

A window that can remain open and visible while you work in the database object.

Mini toolbar

Appears automatically based on tasks you perform, contains commands related to changing the appearance of text in a database object.

Shortcut menu

Appears when you righ-click an object. Is a list of frequently used commands that relate to the right-clicked object.

Quick Access toolbar

Located by default above the Ribbon. Probides easy access to frequently used commands.

Office button

A central location for managing and sharing database objects.

Menu

Contains a list of commands.

Submenu

A list of additional commands associated with the selected command.

Key Tip badge

Used if you prefer using the keyboard instead of the mouse. Also known as the keyboard code icon, for certain commands.

Key Tip

Used to select a command using the keyboard, its displayed code letter.

Row selector

Small box or bar that, when you click it, selects the entire row, indicates the field you are currently describing.

Datasheet view

Used to work in when you are making changes to tables.

Datasheet

In datasheet view where the table is represented as a collection of rows and columns.

AutoCorrect

A feature in Access that works behind the scenes, correcting common mistakes when you complete a text entry in a cell.

Landscape Orientation

Means the printout is across the length (height) of the page.

Form view

Where data is displayed in a form on the screen, you usually can see all the fields, but only for one record.

Split form

combines both a datasheet and a form, thus giving the advantages of both views.

Database properties

Details about a file.

Metadata

Can include such information as the project author, title, or subject.

Keywords

Are words or phrases that further descrive the database.

Standard properties

Are associated with all Microsoft Office documents and include author, title, and subject.

Automatically updated properties

Include file system properties, such as the date you create or change a file, and statistics, such as the file size.

Access Help

Where you can find answers to questions and display information about various topics.

Portrait orientation

Means the printout is across the width of the page.

Navigation buttons

Buttons used to move within a table, found near the lower-left corner of the screen when a table is open.

Microsoft Access 2007

Usually referred to as simply Access, is a database management system.

Data entry and update

Acces provides easy mechanisms for adding, changing, and deleting data, including the capability of making mass changes in a single operation.

Queries (questions)

Access makes it possible to ask complex questions concerning the data in the database and the receive instant answers.

Forms

Access allows the user to produce attractive and useful forms for viewing and updating data.

Reports

Access includes report creation tools that make it easy to produce sophisticated reports for presenting data.

Web support

Access allows you to save objects, reports, and tables in HTML format so they can be viewed using a browser. You also can import and export documents in XML format as well as share data with others using SharePoint Services.

Text

The field can contain any characters. A maximum number of 255 characters is allowed in a field whose data type is Text.

Number

The field can contain only numbers. The numbers either can be positive or negative. Fields are assigned this type so they can be used in arithmetic operations. Fields that contain numbers but will not be used for arithmetic operations usually are assigned a data type of Text.

Currency

The field can contain only monetary data. The values will appear with currency symbols, such as dollar signs, commas and decimal points and two digits following the decimal point. Like numeric fields, you can use currency fields in arithmetic operations. Access assigns a size to currency fields automatically.